Saturday, January 1, 2011

1 Catch Me If You Can

Nearly 150 years after emancipation, we still delight in hearing tales of a slave's escape. This lively block stitched of only one triangular pattern piece captures the cleverness the adventure required. In her 1935 book The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt, Carrie Hall gave the name "Catch Me If You Can" to an old design with many other names including "Winding Blades", "Devil's Puzzle" and "Flyfoot."

Escape was often an impulse move. When opportunity knocked, a slave might slip through the door. Eliza Potter told the story of a young woman, a slave in Kentucky, who accompanied her mistress across the river to Cincinnati in the free state of Ohio:

"She was sent out one morning to make purchases and never returned, but found a happy home, I trust, on English soil."

Although we enjoy imagining good's triumph over evil, successful escapes were far too few. Most ended in failure for the simple reason stated by slaveholder William Dunbar in 1780:

"Ketty came home this morning of herself, finding it uncomfortable lodging in the woods."

Ketty must have weighed her options during the night and decided that hunger, cold and no real escape plan were worse than the expected whipping.

Don't make the mistake of thinking this first week's block was a code or form of communication on the Underground Railroad. The block was given the name in 1935 and Carrie Hall did not mention slavery or the Civil War at all in her description.

We are using a traditional block and a fanciful name to commemorate the Underground Railroad and escape from slavery. These symbolic patterns will have a label each week, as will reproduction patterns that actually existed during the Civil War.

Stitching the Block 8" Finished Block

Rotary Cutting

Cut squares 2-7/8": 6 light, 6 medium and 4 dark

Cut each on the diagonal to make 12 light, 12 medium and 12 dark triangles[oops! that's 8 dark triangles]

Piece the triangles into squares, following the shading in the block photo

This story is taken from my 2006 book Facts and Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery. See page 68 for a 15" pattern. Click here for more information about the book:http://www.ctpub.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1049
You can buy it as a bound book or a digital book.

Read Eliza Potter's 1859 memoir of her life as a free black woman before the Civil War at Google Books.

Thanks for doing this...I love history! And mixing in quilts while learning. Have you read Enemy Women? It is fascinating part of Missouri Civil War history. I would say it is a novel mixed with lots of historical facts and ancedotes. I will look for the one you have recommended!

What a great idea this is. Since I am fairly new to quilting I am going to enjoy the history lesson and making different blocks. I do not have much of civil war fabric, but I think that my stash and likes are very similar in colors and style, so will make due with what I have! Thank you!

Barbara, thank you so much for starting this blog. I am so very interested in the Civil War and I will be making this quilt to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of this tragic time in our history. Marilyn Smith

I am greatly enamored of all things Civil War and will endeavor to find the fabrics and make the blocks, Thank you so much for you expertise and study of this facinating time in the history of our country.

What a great way of learning history! There is a reenactment of the handing over of the Augusta Powder works to the new confederate government later this month here in Augusta. I expect there will be many reenactments in the coming year!

I will make Block 1 tonight and look forward to all of us sharing photos. What fun.

I have recently pieced 3 large quilts using Civil War era fabrics, and my supply is getting low, but this is such a good reason to buy more fabric and make another. I like to mix fabrics and not use only from one lin.

Question for you as I am getting ready to cut these out right now. You indicate that one will need: 6 light, 6 medium and 4 dark squares and then to cut them in half to give 12 of each for triangles....is it good to assume that you meant 6 dark squares? The pictures shows only 4 total dark squares thus giving 8 triangles? Thats how I am going to proceed but just want to make sure I wasn't leaving something out.

My stash of CW repro fabrics suggests I should concentrate on using them, not just admiring them. Your timing is perfect, Barbara, and I'm looking forward to your weekly blocks and stories. I may not leave a comment very often, but I read your blog faithfully. Your posts are always interesting and informative, and the photos and illustrations you add never disappoint. I'm getting history lessons of the best kind every week--quilting history. Keep up the great work, Barbara. You have a loyal, well-educated following.

Looking forward to this great project. Thanks for the history lesson. What better way than to combine is with such a fun quilting project. Seeing the blocks that others are creating is wonderful. Thanks for doing this.

Barbara, can you tell me how much fabric I will need to complete all the blocks you are going to post? I am going to purchase some of your wonderful fabric for this project so want to be sure I have enough to complete the project.

Wonderful block. I don't have any of the Civil War fabrics - but I've always wanted to make a quilt using these fabrics. Your blog has inspired me to move forward with this dream. Thank you so much. And I'm now a follower so I can keep up with all the new posts. : )

Thank you! This will be a wonderful quilt when it's finished. I saw above you asked us to send pictures but - where? I have so many Civil War reproduction fabrics in my collection it will be nice to put them in something I can see and use! I hate having them hidden in closets and boxes. Thank you for doing this and sharing.

Oh, thanks to a friend, I found you just in time, before I fall behind already! I love this idea! I was planning something for the sesquicentennial of the start of the War of Northern Aggression, , but I like this so much, I'm going to do both. I love the idea of a history lesson with it, too! Do you object to our saving all the posts, not with the object of selling them, but just to have them to re-read over and over, once the project is done?

You must have seen my stash of Civil War fabrics aching to be used. I am sincerely anxious to get started on this project. I was a museum curator for 10 years and learned to love history in general. This is where my love of history and love of quilting come together. LOVE IT! I have some old quilts I wish I could share with you sometimes. Molly of Molly's Placewww.sewhappy10000.blogspot.com

Barbara, thank you for this! I have a small stash of CW fabrics - very hard to find up here in western Canada, but several sweet friends in the US/Canada have sent me scraps - and I would like to make these. My question - will they all be 8" blocks??? Just wondering. Thanks for your answer, and your hard work that you share. Happy new year!Gerda in Alberta

found your blog this morning from another blog and so glad i found it, this will be fun, I have already made block 1 and can't wait for the the next story and block. Thanks so much. I add you to my follower list. Thanks Connie

What a great way to remember the trials and achievements of people in your history. This is really interesting and I will look forward to visiting. I just heard that a daughter is going to Charlston in the summer and I am soooo mad jealous!

Perfect!! Need to bust my stash and I think I will piece two blocks of each pattern. And I'll wind up with enough for two quilts. That way, I can keep one and gift one! Good theory anyway. So needed a new project to start and this one sounds like an attainable one...and I'll be learning some more American history as I go along. Like I said...perfect! Thank you so much.

Just getting started today with my son for a homeschool lesson.We will work hard to catch up! He picked out 10 fat quarters to start with, all in Civil War reproduction prints of blues, reds, grays, and blacks. Should be interesting! I will be blogging along about it on my blog. Maybe even the first post tomorrow if he gets this block done this evening.

Okay, it's August now (nearly September!) and I'm only just joining in. I really love how your posts made me mindful as I am making these blocks. I'm posting my versions of the blocks and reflecting on the stories and themes as I go along on my craft blog. It's really making me think; thanks!

Although this block is made only from Haf Square Triangles, at first sight it looks complicated. The quilting is simple, yet fabulous. I have several Civil War reproduction fabrics, now I know which block I will use them for. Thanks for the pattern, and the history. My heart breaks for the slaves, that were so unhumanely treated.,